You need skills to create cook and create all the trimmings for a memorable delicious Thanksgiving dinner likewise you need real-world skills could be plumbing, electrician, HVAC, or data analytical abilities gained by possessing solid math education and training. What do the “trades” or vocational arts require is an high school diploma or something I teach the high school equivalency HiSET and the GED that proves you have basic knowledge to navigate our society. A two year degree, certificate from community college will provide you with the hard-skills to succeed and earn a living without crushing student loan debt and beat the rate of inflation. I remember my old Career Technical Education teacher Marty a multimillionaire mechanic business whiz without a college degree. Marty did attend a mechanic school in Los Angeles county where he did not graduate but he was offered a job as an entry level mechanic. Over time Marty became a high-demand automotive mechanic owning three auto repair shops until he sold all of them at a nice profit he was smart and purchased rental properties he did this all without a college degree. Last time I saw Marty he was making $65 an hour as a CTE teacher sharing his experience with high school students maybe there will be another Marty in the group who fulfill their dream without the crushing burden of student loan debt.
